Battle of Trafalgar: 200th Anniversary

Lord Drayson: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Royal Navy will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson with a special programme of events in Portsmouth and the Solent between 28 June and 3 July, and then in London and Portsmouth over the anniversary weekend 21–23 October. A wreath will be laid off Cape Trafalgar on 21 October, the actual anniversary, and there will be commemorations in Gibraltar in late October.
	The Royal Navy's Trafalgar 200 programme forms part of the Trafalgar festival which is at the heart of the SeaBritain 2005 initiative sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. SeaBritain 2005 aims to raise the profile of the United Kingdom's maritime interests. The Trafalgar 200 programme of events will also strengthen the Royal Navy's maritime partnerships, help to develop interoperability and build on multinational maritime co-operation. The Trafalgar 200 programme provides a major vehicle for the Ministry of Defence to promote public awareness and support for defence in 2005.
	The Trafalgar 200 programme starts with an international fleet review in the Solent on 28 June 2005 in the presence of HM The Queen, members of the Royal Family, Ministers and heads of foreign Navies. Some 160 vessels, comprising Royal Navy, foreign warships and auxiliaries, merchant ships and tall ships, will take part in the review, which will conclude with a flypast of 50 aircraft. In total, 36 navies are expected to send ships, with 57 heads of Navies in attendance. There will be a Son et Lumière on the evening of 28 June 2005 in the approaches to Portsmouth Harbour which will illustrate an early 19th century sea battle. While not a full re-enactment of Trafalgar, the show includes aspects of the battle, notably Admiral Lord Nelson's death at the height of the action; it will involve some of the world's finest tall ships. On 29 June an international drumhead ceremony will be held on Southsea Common in the presence of HRH the Duke of York, accompanied by. HRH Prince Michael of Kent. The ceremony will honour maritime veterans of all nations and commemorate those who have given their lives in conflict and service in the Armed Forces. Finally, an international festival of the sea will be held from 30 June to 3 July 2005 in HM Naval Base Portsmouth. In addition to a significant number of the warships and tall ships taking part in the fleet review, a substantial number of smaller vessels will join the festival, which will be open to ticket-paying members of the public. The festival will showcase Britain's Armed Forces with displays by members of all three services.
	The programme of events in the autumn will commence with wreaths being laid off Cape Trafalgar and at Nelson's tomb in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral on 21 October 2005, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. As is customary, a service will also be held onboard HMS Victory in Portsmouth. A special VIP dinner will be held in HMS Victory on the evening of 21 October 2005. On the morning of 23 October the Sea Cadets will conduct their annual parade in Trafalgar Square and in the afternoon a national service of commemoration for all those who fought at Trafalgar will be held in St Paul's Cathedral, in the presence of senior members of the Royal Family. In the evening we plan to hold a public celebration of Britain's maritime heritage ("Past, Present and Future") in the special setting of Trafalgar Square.
	Although not formally part of the Trafalgar 200 programme in the United Kingdom, events are also planned to take place in Gibraltar during the weekend of 28 to 30 October to commemorate the close historic links between Gibraltar and Admiral Lord Nelson's victory. In addition to a service of remembrance at the Trafalgar Cemetery, there will be a Nelson exhibition, beating retreat and a Royal Navy ceremonial guard mount at the Governor's residence. The Royal Navy has also been invited to exercise its Freedom of the City privileges.
	Lying at the heart of SeaBritain 2005, the Trafalgar 200 programme represents an exciting and high-profile series of events, funded through a combination of public funding and commercial sponsorship and revenue, commemorating our greatest naval hero and a major milestone in maritime history. The last fleet review by Her Majesty the Queen was held to mark the Silver Jubilee in 1977. There have been international festivals of the sea in Portsmouth in 1998 and 2001.

Armed Forces: New Redundancy Terms

Lord Drayson: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Don Touhig) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Current redundancy compensation terms for members of the regular Armed Forces have remained largely unchanged since the early 1970s and do not reflect changes to re-employment prospects or in wider government policy for this area. Nor do they take account of the changes in benefit structure made under the new Armed Forces Pension Scheme. They have therefore been reviewed, working closely with the single Services, and I now wish to announce the outcome of that review.
	The new terms are designed to compensate fairly those whose careers are prematurely shortened as a result of redundancy, and are to be used as part of any planned restructuring of the Armed Forces as announced by the Secretary of State for Defence from time to time. The Ministry of Defence has two schemes which provide normal early leavers' benefits for the regular Armed Forces—one relating to the 1975 pension scheme and one to reflect the changes made to the value of mid-career benefits with the introduction of the new 2005 scheme. Despite the differences between these two schemes, the redundancy packages for each scheme will be broadly comparable.
	The new terms will continue to be made up of a one-off tax-free lump sum which, for those serving until or beyond mid-career, will be supplemented with an immediate pension paid under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 (AFPS 75) or income paid under the 2005 early departure scheme. The size of the lump sum and of the annual pension or income stream will, as now, vary according to length of service and pay. The 2005 terms will apply to all new entrants from 6 April 2005, but from 6 April 2006 for those who were in service on 5 April 2005 and who decide to transfer to the new pension scheme. The existing terms, as set out in AFPS 75, will remain unchanged until 31 March 2008 when the current drawdown in Service manpower announced in July 2004 by the then Secretary of State is due to complete. They will then be replaced by new terms which, in particular, will defer the point at which the current very early immediate pension is paid. This can currently be paid from age 30 but in future only a lump sum will be paid at this very early age. To ease the transition, the replacement terms for AFPS 75 will be phased in over a five-year period from l April 2008 to 31 March 2013, after which the final terms will apply.
	The new arrangements will provide the Armed Forces with cost-effective arrangements for managing any major drawdown in the level of Service manpower and are expected to meet fully the manning needs of the Armed Forces. Although less valuable in a number of respects than the existing terms, they remain generous by wider standards, as befits the special demands of a career in the Armed Forces; they reflect changes in wider government policy for public service schemes; and they are fair with respect to the relationship between level of compensation and length of service. Additional general information on the new arrangements is available on both the MoD's intranet and Internet sites, while detail about the new terms will be made public when work on drafting the new rules has been completed.
	I am today placing copies of the defence instructions and notices (DIN) on the new redundancy terms in Library of the House. It is also being placed on the Ministry of Defence website at: www.MOD.uk/issues/pensions

Northern Ireland: Omagh Battalion

Lord Drayson: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	As part of our normal process of keeping force levels under review, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Northern Ireland, in consultation with the Chief Constable of the PSNI, has concluded that once the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borders comes to the end of its tour as the Omagh resident battalion in August 2006, there is no requirement for it to be replaced.
	This change is based on the GOC's and Chief Constable's assessment of the security situation, and reflects the increasing success of the PSNI in dealing with the threat from terrorism without routine military support. The Army remains committed to providing the support that the PSNI require to counter the threat from terrorism and to prevent potential public disorder. Consequently, we will continue to keep force levels in Northern Ireland under regular review.

Naval Recruiting and Training Agency: Key Targets 2005–06

Lord Drayson: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Don Touhig) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Subsequent to a proposal by the agency's owner, the Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, I have today set the 2005–06 key targets for the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA), as follows:
	To deliver RN personnel to the trained strength (or to other training organisations), to the required quality standard, within 5 per cent variance from the tasked requirement.
	To deliver RM recruits to within 9 per cent variance from the tasked requirement.
	To maintain success rates of 95 per cent in career training (including targeted employment modules) and 97 per cent in examined pre-joining training.
	To increase the trained strength of the Royal Naval Reserve to 2010.
	To reduce the cost of the NRTA HQ overhead to 96 per cent of the 2003–04 baseline figure.
	To achieve net benefits of £15.9 million in financial year 2005–06 from the partnering arrangement with Flagship Training Limited.
	To improve to 102 the index of performance in Phase 2 and Phase 3 training delivered to Army and Royal Air Force personnel in the Defence College of Electro-Mechanical Engineering.

Bangladesh: Rural Electrification

Baroness Amos: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:
	On 7 June 2005, I approved a grant of £50 million for rural electrification in Bangladesh which will help to connect over 1 million households and businesses to electricity supplies in underserved areas of the country.
	At present only 25 per cent of the rural population of Bangladesh has electricity, and frequently the poor are left out. We will support a micro credit programme that will ensure that poorer people can afford the costs of connection, and take up new income-generating activities. The benefits of rural electricity include new jobs, better schools and health services and an improved quality of life.
	The Rural Electrification Board, which will undertake the construction work, has an excellent reputation for efficiency and effectiveness. Local electricity co-operatives manage the service at the district level. The DfID programme will help to improve their performance by funding training for directors and members.

Asian Tsunami: Reconstruction Programme

Baroness Amos: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Last week I visited Indonesia (Jakarta and Banda Aceh) and Sri Lanka (Colombo, Ampara in the east and Galle in the south) to track progress in post-tsunami reconstruction; assess our and the wider UK NGO response; and investigate the impact on peace processes.
	Indonesia 
	Immediate humanitarian relief has been generally effective. The UK's contribution has helped to save lives by preventing disease, providing water and sanitation and temporary shelter. The UN, NGOs and military are widely considered to have done a good job in the first few weeks as the enormity of the disaster became clear. But the problems caused by the sheer scale of the disaster, numbers of dead, the lack of NGO or UN staff on the ground in Banda Aceh before the tsunami due to the conflict and the logistical difficulties cannot be overstated. 
	The Government have reorganised so the transition from relief to reconstruction is led by the Aceh Reconstruction Agency (BRR). I discussed the scale of the reconstruction challenge with Mr Pak Kuntoro Mangkusubroto (head of the BRR) and how donors can assist BRR's efforts to improve supplies, housing and infrastructure rebuilding among other areas, as well as measures to prevent corruption. The UK has provided approximately £7 million in support of BRR so far, and I announced a further £30 million to be made available from within the £65 million for reconstruction that we set aside in February.
	After a break following the tsunami, the conflict has worsened with almost daily reports of fighting between GAM (the Free Aceh Movement) and government forces. The tsunami has, however, helped to kick-start new negotiations facilitated by the Finnish Government. There are encouraging signs of progress. Through our presidency of the EU we will continue to support this process.
	Sri Lanka
	Much has been achieved by the relief effort so far that benefited from a huge and more immediate influx of NGO and international support: 30,000 transitional homes constructed so far; of 182 schools damaged, contracts have been signed to rebuild 176; 95 per cent of children affected by the tsunami are now back at school; and roads, railways and electricity supplies (where they existed) have been restored. The major area lagging now we are in the recovery phase is livelihoods, which is being addressed now, with funds to rebuild and recapitalise the fishing industry (the main livelihood of those affected) and micro-credit becoming available, although co-ordination issues remain. 
	Broadly speaking, the transition to reconstruction has begun in fuller force than in Indonesia. Industry is expected to have recovered by the end of the year. Reconstruction needs as identified by the international financial institutions are fully financed by donors, (expected cost $2 billion: pledges from donors and NGOs exceeding $3 billion). I have specifically requested assurances from the government that debt relief resources (including £41 million from the UK Government) and sufficient counterpart funding on the government side be channelled through the budget and spent on tsunami-related reconstruction activities.
	A major constraint to faster progress is the lack of land for permanently resettling tsunami displaced persons. There is a government proposal to forbid any rebuilding within a designated buffer zone stretching 100–200 metres from the sea. I raised concerns over the robustness of the rationale for this with the Government of Sri Lanka, given the large number of family homes, schools and clinics within the zone, affecting more than 70,000 people. I received reassurances that the buffer zone will be implemented in a flexible way depending on local circumstances and improved consultation mechanisms are being put in place.
	Inevitably assistance is reaching some communities more quickly than others, but the context of the conflict makes this hugely significant. In the north and east areas contested by the LTTE, much assistance is through NGOs and the UN and progress has been slower than in some parts of the south, due in part to relatively little private sector funding and poor infrastructure. Perceptions that assistance is being inequitably delivered continue. For this reason, the joint mechanism (GoSL/LTTE/Muslim) that should facilitate bilateral donor funding to the north-east is hugely significant as providing the first framework for a long time within which dialogue between the parties could take place. Further work to finalise the agreement and to put it to a parliamentary debate is expected this month. If it can be established then the UK Government stand ready to provide support as needed.
	Disaster reduction
	The area remains disaster-prone. We have allocated £7.5 million for disaster risk reduction measures. This will support community-level work to raise awareness of danger signals from early warning systems and ensure they know how to respond to best protect themselves and their families.

Local Area Agreements: Phase 2

Baroness Andrews: My right honourable friend the Minister for Local Government has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today announcing the rollout of local area agreements (LAAs) to all local areas in England. LAAs are three-year agreements that set out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government, represented by the Government Office, and a local area, represented by the local authority and local strategic partnership (LSP) and other key partners at local level. LAAs represent a new approach to improve co-ordination and partnership working between central government and local authorities and their partners, working through the LSP.
	LAAs were piloted with 21 areas last year. Sixty-six areas have been selected to negotiate their LAA this year. These agreements will come into effect in April 2006. These areas are listed in a table entitled Local Area Agreements—areas participating in summer 2005. Of these, 13 will be able to operate a single LAA pot. These areas are listed in a table entitled Single pot Local Area Agreement. Single pot LAAs will have freedom to spend any funding on the achievement of any of the outcomes that have been agreed as part of the LAA. All remaining areas will be eligible to agree LAAs during 2006–07 with an April 2007 start date.
	Both tables Local Area Agreements—areas participating in summer 2005 and Single pot Local Area Agreement are available in both House Libraries and on ODPM website www.odpm.gov.uk.